Chapter 782: A Rescue Attempt
"Why is there no news of her death or even of her being missing? Shouldn’t they be looking for her?"
The woman paced the floor as she muttered to herself, her anxiety growing as she stared at the flickering news on her phone and the muted television. The world outside seemed to carry on as usual, but within her, a storm of dread brewed. It had been more than a day since she had received the money from Kael, and despite that, Isidora Sterling had remained missing without a trace. Shouldn’t Kael, who had so casually handed over a staggering hundred million as if it were mere pocket change, have been worried? After all, this was a woman he had deemed worth such a fortune. One would expect that he would be desperate to find her, that he would mobilize every resource at his disposal to uncover her whereabouts. But instead, all remained ominously quiet. Why?
She glanced at the papers strewn across the table, though her mind remained elsewhere. Was he still looking for the kidnappers, or had he shifted his focus solely to searching for Dora? Either way, there should have been something on the news—any hint of action, any indication that Kael was stirring the pot. Perhaps heightened security at airports and places where one might want to escape or even photos of Dora circulating in case someone had spotted her. But there was nothing. No alerts, no reports, no increased surveillance. Just silence. And that, more than anything, unsettled her.
She paced a few more steps before stopping abruptly, her heart racing as she considered the possibility. What if something had gone wrong? What if Kael had found out more than she anticipated? What if he was playing her, letting her think everything was under control, all while quietly closing in on her? Her chest tightened at the thought. She had been so careful, so meticulous. But now, that lingering silence felt like a trap, slowly tightening around her. She ran a hand through her hair and forced herself to take a deep breath.
With a sigh, she wondered if she should leave. If something had really gone wrong... then leaving now was the best option.
"Leaving now would only make him sure that it was me," she muttered under her breath, her voice thick with frustration. "And that would only create more trouble." She glanced back at the papers on the table, her fingers brushing over them as if to reassure herself. These were the key to her freedom. Once Prince Rafe had signed them, she would be able to leave Petrovia, if need be, without fear of being caught, without the threat of any consequences. It would be the end of her years of struggle, her constant need to look over her shoulder.
As she reached for her phone, preparing to make arrangements for her meeting with Prince Rafe, a sudden vibration interrupted her thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat. A message.
She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the screen as she unlocked it. Her eyes scanned the text, and the world seemed to tilt. It was from him. The pit in her stomach deepened as she read his words, her pulse quickening with every line."I rescued her. What should I do now?"
Her fingers tightened around the phone, her knuckles white with tension. What was the menaing of this? She’d arrange for his escape. She’d made sure that he should have been half way around the earth by now. Why then was he with Isidora in a hospital? And what did he mean by sending this message to her? Was he trying to blackmail her?"